Home Office in the media: Tuesday 29 October

Today's leading stories include a review into all forms of serious and organised crime, and a small boat incident.

Serious organised crime review

There is coverage in the Express, Telegraph and Times of the Home Secretary unveiling a wide-ranging review to overhaul the police response to serious organised crime, as outlined in a Home Office press release.

The Security Minister, Brandon Lewis, also appeared on BBC Breakfast, Sky News, the Today programme, Talk Radio, 5 Live and LBC radio this morning to talk about the review.

The coverage states that the review, headed by Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Sir Craig Mackey, will identify ways to bolster the UK’s response to threats including county lines, people trafficking, child sexual exploitation, fraud and illicit finance.

The Telegraph and Express report that it comes as the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said that the 4,500 serious and organised crime groups in the UK cost the economy an estimated £37 billion a year.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

This review will help strengthen our response to these sickening crimes, building on the existing success of the NCA.

The threat is growing, and offenders are becoming more sophisticated. Serious and organised criminals exploit children and ruthlessly target the most vulnerable in our society, ruining lives and blighting communities.

We are committed to tackling crime and keeping our streets safe and I’m glad Sir Craig will bring his significant expertise and experience to this review, which will help ensure our system is fit for the modern world.

Small boat crossings

The Telegraph reports that it has been claimed migrants illegally crossing the Channel in a dinghy refused to be rescued by the French coastguard in order to be brought to England.

According to the coverage, the 15 Iranian men abandoned their outboard motor into the sea half-way across the Channel as a French Loire class cutter, the Rhone, and two British Border Force vessels were sent to the scene to intercept.

It adds that Kent Police chiefs have described similar cases where migrants made 999 calls to emergency services to be picked up by the British authorities once they were in UK territorial waters.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

We work with partners across Europe and beyond to tackle illegal migration and recently agreed a plan with France which has seen patrols on French beaches doubled and action to disrupt criminal gangs intensified as part of our work to prevent migrants crossing the Channel in small boats.

The people who facilitate this are ruthless and do not care about the risk to life.

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About this blog

Home Office in the media is the Home Office's blog on the latest topical home affairs issues. It features a review of leading media stories, responses to breaking news, rebuttal to inaccurate reports, and ministerial comment.